Pepper spray and bitesticks will be part of animal control equipment recommended by the McDonough County Board's planning committee Thursday.

The county's animal control officer and assistant animal control officer have both been certified by the National Animal Control Association in the use of sticks and spray.

The county animal control staff already uses a pole and snare to restrain animals. Dr. Karen Blakeley, county veterinarian, said the pole was originally invented to capture rabid animals and that it is generally sufficient to handle most animals.

Animal Control Officer Vicky VanTrump said the bitestick attaches to the officer's belt and can be extended to 21-inches in length. She said it is generally recommended in the case of a sudden attack, to put some distance between the officer and the animal.

Some sticks come with shock attachments, but the committee said it does not condone shocking an animal and would not approve ordering such an attachment.

"It's not necessary," Blakeley said.

Committee Chairman George Dixon said he has been working for approval of the bitesticks and pepper spray ever since the animal control staff received certification.

"This provides them with some degree of protection," he said.

VanTrump reported that there were 11 dogs and 34 cats in the city/county animal shelter at the end of January. She said there has been good public response to a recent series of advertisements reminding people of the Feb. 15 deadline to purchase dog registration tags.

She said the price goes up from six dollars to nine dollars after the deadline.

In other business, Dixon briefed committee members on a decision made Wednesday to hire a county information technology administrator. He said the board's finance committee discussed the options of hiring a full-time county employee or seeking a contractual arrangement with a computer repair and network design consulting firm.

"There is no real difference in cost or in terms of savings with either option," Dixon said, "so we decided to go with what our employees say they want."

Committee member Alice Henry said she is unsure how long it might take to hire an IT administrator.

"It could take less than a month, or it could take several months," she said.